$10,000 means how many masks?

The cash handout is seen by many as "protection money" against the coronavirus.

A 28-year-old stable assistant, Marco Wong Tsun-wai, said he could not really spend much to boost the economy in Hong Kong as many shops have closed and he has to use the HK$10,000 for protective gear against the virus.

"I will use most of the money to buy more protection from the virus like sanitizers and mainly masks, so as to prepare," Wong said.

With the most expensive masks fetching up to HK$200 each, that would work out at just 50 masks. At the cheapest end of the scale right now - with a box of 50 costing HK$200 - it would buy 50 boxes, or 2,500 pieces.

Trevor Tong Yet-yee, 26, said he will not spend all the amount because he is not confident about the economy in the coming year.

"But I will still eat out to help the business of restaurants as many of them have closed down," Tong said.

On the other hand, a 55-year-old clerk, Connie Yuen Fong-nui, and 56-year-old street cleaner, surnamed Lai, said that the money would help with family expenses, such as masks, cleaning supplies and food, but not shopping.

A 53-year-old boss of an engineering company, Gary Lam Yiu-mo, said the money was just to comfort citizens, but public grievances at the government were too strong.

"The government is too weak," Lam said. "The cash handout this time seems to calm the public grievance to stop it from getting worse.

"The way the government handled the social movement before was bad, and now the way it is taking care of the epidemic is really bad. All they do is hand out money to the public," he said.

Although the handout was better than nothing, he said it could not compensate for what the government had done to society.

A homeless man welcomed the HK$10,000 cash handout, but many jobless are disappointed the government refuses to set up an unemployment allowance amid the coronavirus epidemic.

The 48-year-old Kei, who has been homeless for six months, relies on the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme and cannot afford to rent a flat.

He said he is happy with the cash handout as it would help him find a shelter and then look for a job. "I'm just worried whether I can get it, as I do not have an address now," Kei said, adding that the process of distributing the money would be as complicated as the HK$4,000 handout under the Caring and Sharing Scheme in 2018.

But 58-year-old Kong, who is jobless and lives with his wife in a subdivided unit, said the HK$20,000 cash handout the two get will only be enough to pay rent for a few months.

Kong said his wife works in the beauty industry earning about HK$11,000 a month, but two-thirds of her income goes to rent and utilities.

Kong said they will soon face a problem with their income as his wife's working hours will be significantly cut next month, which would disqualify them from the Working Family Allowance.

"Handing out cash is good but I hope the government can set up an unemployment allowance as well so that we could benefit in the longer term," Kong said, adding that the Covid-19 outbreak has put more pressure on their situation.